Beginners' Guide: Difference between revisions

From FIBIwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Maureene (talk | contribs)
No edit summary
Line 31: Line 31:


===The very first steps===
===The very first steps===
*Search the archives of the India List. You may find that someone else has already researched the family tree you are interested in. Read how to do this, and more about the India List, in the Fibiwiki link [[Mailing lists]]
* Search the main online databases. There are three free websites:
# [http://www.search.fibis.org/ FIBIS database] contains information from many sources.  
# The [[IGI]] FamilySearch - which is the website of the Mormon Latter Day Saints Church (LDS)
# [[British Library]], [http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/ India Office Family History Search]. Contains only a small proportion of the total records.


*Search the main online data bases. There are three free websites: FIBIS; the IGI index on Family Search - which is the website of the Mormon Latter Day Saints Church (LDS); and the British Library site, India Office Family History Search, together with the commercial site findmypast.co.uk. The LDS site  hosts a large volume of transcriptions based on the India Office [[Church records|church records]] at the British Library, so you may wish to investigate this website first. '''Information about births is available to 1910, marriages to 1935 and deaths to 1948'''. (Information is restricted for privacy reasons. Alternative records are available for later births and marriages, see the link [[IGI]]). The FIBIS database contains information from many sources, including (at July 2013) some births to '''1930'''. The records found on the British Library website contain most of the information found on the original record, but are only a small proportion of the total records. To access the links for these data bases, and for more information, read
The commercial site [[findmypast]] and the Familysearch web sites host a large volume of transcriptions based on the India Office [[Church records|church records]] housed at the British Library. (Some more recent records are not available for privacy reasons on [[findmypast]]. Alternative records are available for later births and marriages in the [[IGI]]).  
** [http://www.search.fibis.org/frontis/bin/index.php FIBIS database]. 
**[[IGI]]
**[[Church records#Records at the British Library|Church records- Records at the British Library]].  


:'''The commercial site findmypast.co.uk has digital images from the India Office Records at the British Library, including [[Church records|church records]] '''. The digital  church images are restricted for privacy purposes and a limited transcription only  is available, currently  (January 2014) as follows: '''There are no digital images for baptisms after 1914, nor for marriages after 1929'''. For more details see [[Findmypast-India Office Records]]
*Search the archives of the India List. You may find that someone else has already researched the family tree you are interested in. Read how to do this, and more about the India List, in the Fibiwiki link [[Mailing lists]]. When you have some identifying details of a person such as name, date and place(presidency), you might wish to join the India List and send an email to the list, asking whether anyone has any knowledge of the family.


*When you have some identifying details of a person such as name, date and place(presidency), you might wish to join the India List (see above) and send an email to the list, asking whether anyone has any knowledge of the family.
*Consider joining your local genealogy society as most large societies provide members free online access in their libraries to commercial sites such as Findmypast and Ancestry. This is especially relevant as the church records at the British Library are  now digitised and available through findmypast. Some libraries may also offer free  access to websites such as Findmypast and Ancestry, see [[Miscellaneous tips]].
 
*Consider joining your local genealogy society.<ref>See [http://www.ffhs.org.uk/index.php Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS)] and its publications  [http://www.ffhs.org.uk/really_useful_leaflet.pdf “really useful information leaflet"  (Issue 2 2013)] pdf version,  [http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:P6fAs1ZkATkJ:www.ffhs.org.uk/really_useful_leaflet.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au html version] , and
[http://www.sag.org.au/downloads/RUL%20leaflet.pdf "Australasian really useful information leaflet" (Issue AUS 1 2013)]  pdf version, [http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:gziuaq-Q_cQJ:www.sag.org.au/downloads/RUL%2520leaflet.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au html version], which also contains UK information, (the latter leaflet posted on sag.org.au) </ref> Enquire about the facilities offered to members. Most large societies provide members free online access in their libraries to commercial sites such as Findmypast and Ancestry. This is especially relevant as the church records at the British Library are  now digitised and available through findmypast.co.uk. Some libraries may also offer free  access to websites such as Findmypast and Ancestry, see [[Miscellaneous tips]].


===The next steps===
===The next steps===
Line 59: Line 56:
===Visiting the British Library===  
===Visiting the British Library===  
{{#widget:YouTube|id=UGZQlMGocPQ}}
{{#widget:YouTube|id=UGZQlMGocPQ}}
 
== Related articles ==
Also read the Fibiwiki article [[British Library]]
* [[British Library]]
 
* [[IGI]]
== Notes ==
* [[Birth, marriage and death records]]
<references />
* [[Church records]]
 
* [[Miscellaneous tips]]
== External links ==
*[http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2114&id=201071 findmypast]
*[http://indiafamily.bl.uk/UI/ India Office Family History Search]
*[https://familysearch.org/ Familysearch]


{{#widget:Google PlusOne
{{#widget:Google PlusOne

Revision as of 13:14, 21 March 2014

The FIBIwiki contains lots of guidance for starting out on your British India research. It is recommended that you read through this page before contacting FIBIS for personal research services (Members) or research advice (non-Members).

Scope of FIBIS' Interest

The main focus of FIBIS activities is the ‘sub-continent’ of India but the society is also interested in all areas and activities of the British in South Asia including the following between the founding of the East India Company in 1599 to ‘Indian Independence’ in 1947:

Afghanistan, Aden, Andaman Islands, Bangladesh, Bencoolen (Sumatra, Indonesia), Burma (Myanmar), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), China, Macao & Hong Kong, Indonesia (Borneo, Labuan etc.), Malaysia, Mauritius, Persia, Singapore, Straits Settlements.

Also included are the activities of the East India Company in London and St. Helena.

Presidencies

Administrative areas of India in the 1930s

British India was divided into three Presidencies:

  • Bombay, which covered the smallest area on the west of the country, extending through Sind and to the coastal area of what is now Pakistan, including Karachi and also included Aden
  • Madras, which covered the southern portion of India

The main cities of the Presidencies were Bombay, Calcutta and Madras, respectively.

Knowing which Presidency a town or city was in, is important when consulting many of the India Office Records held at the British Library.

Also note that administrative boundaries changed from time to time and it is important to check 'border' districts in the adjoining area. The above map is adapted from Plate 21 of the (1931) revised atlas of the Imperial Gazetteer of India. Such small scale maps cannot show every enclave of territory, and this map is not to be taken as an authority for boundaries. For more detail see the provincial maps in the Imperial Gazetteer atlas, and large scale published Survey of India topographical maps.

Recommended steps for your research

The very first steps

  • Search the main online databases. There are three free websites:
  1. FIBIS database contains information from many sources.
  2. The IGI FamilySearch - which is the website of the Mormon Latter Day Saints Church (LDS)
  3. British Library, India Office Family History Search. Contains only a small proportion of the total records.

The commercial site findmypast and the Familysearch web sites host a large volume of transcriptions based on the India Office church records housed at the British Library. (Some more recent records are not available for privacy reasons on findmypast. Alternative records are available for later births and marriages in the IGI).

  • Search the archives of the India List. You may find that someone else has already researched the family tree you are interested in. Read how to do this, and more about the India List, in the Fibiwiki link Mailing lists. When you have some identifying details of a person such as name, date and place(presidency), you might wish to join the India List and send an email to the list, asking whether anyone has any knowledge of the family.
  • Consider joining your local genealogy society as most large societies provide members free online access in their libraries to commercial sites such as Findmypast and Ancestry. This is especially relevant as the church records at the British Library are now digitised and available through findmypast. Some libraries may also offer free access to websites such as Findmypast and Ancestry, see Miscellaneous tips.

The next steps

  • By now, you may have some occupational details.
    • For officers and soldiers in the Military, read Armies in India and all the associated articles and links which are relevant to your research.
    • Look at Category:Occupations, and read the articles and links about occupations relevant to your research.

Further steps

Visiting the British Library

Related articles

External links